Hibernation

I love the Fall, when the weather turns crisp.  I get to wear boots, cook soup, and light candles.  However, it also makes me feel like I want to hibernate.  When it starts getting dark earlier, I just want to watch tv, eat comfort food and sleep. 

I was struggling with this tonight.  So, to combat those negative feelings, I made the Intention that I was going to have a healthy snack, do a practice, and paint my toenails.  Lama Jigme often says that it is the intention that counts.  For instance, even when I'm feeling grumpy or angry, I can choose to be loving.  Our emotions do not define who we are, our choices do.  Off I go to have a salad and paint those nails a cheery shade of pink.

Om mani padme hum

A Good Day

Today has been a really great day.  Everything seems to be going my way.  The traffic lights are green. 

People are happy with my work.  My heart is light and joyful.  This kind of day doesn't happen to me often. 

But as I was fixing a snack for myself just now, I realized that my practice is not just for those days when I have yucky emotions that I'd like to get rid of.  My practice is also for these days.  When I'm feeling joyful, I can give my joy to others with a love and letting go practice.  So I did three reps of the following:

Chenrezig
Give all Joy

Chenrezig
Letting go

It was amazing, but just taking a few seconds to do that practice made me feel like my heart was going to pop out of my chest.  It made me even happier than I already was. 

May you have a joyous and happy day today as well.